Johnno Posted December 17, 2006 Posted December 17, 2006 If you have to focus spots on your own what's good for controlling them from up the scaffold? An assistant or three would be nice but I can't always get one. Our rig is DMX. At present I use an extension lead plugged in at floor level and power the spot I'm working on via a domestic dimmer. This is not always convenient. On the plus side up-and-down the scaff three times a minute is a good workout!
pritch Posted December 17, 2006 Posted December 17, 2006 There are a number of focus remotes available, some wireless and some wired. Some are specific to the model of desk that you're using, some are generic DMX units. If you're just after something to take one channel at a time up or down, then a cheap and cheerful DMX tester may well serve the purpose, provided you don't mind having a cable trailing around after you. Showtec make such a unit, although it appears under a number of other names as well.
Frag_Me Posted December 17, 2006 Posted December 17, 2006 You shouldn't working at height without someone around anyway, really ¬_¬ You are looking at some fairly high prices or some good ingenuity - A friend of mine told me about how he can use his USB DMX wirelessly through his PDA or something like that.
Tomo Posted December 17, 2006 Posted December 17, 2006 Look for "Remote Focus Units" (RFUs) Also, Radio RFUs (RRFUS) for wireless units. As pritch mentioned, these are either desk-specific (ETC and Strand each have their own which plug directly into their respective consoles) or generic DMX (eg ELC Focus Brain) which sit between the console and the rig and allow remote control of DMX values. But again - you should never work at a height alone.If you had an accident, who would call for an ambulance? Even if the help is someone who doesn't understand lighting at all, shouted instructions like "Bring up fader number 20, take the rest down" are easy for anyone to understand after a couple of minutes showing them the desk.
Johnno Posted December 17, 2006 Author Posted December 17, 2006 Thanks for your help. I'm never alone in the building and I'm visible from two busy corridors. Assistance is nice but not always available. Accidents are not nice but always avoidable.
thelxbloke Posted December 17, 2006 Posted December 17, 2006 If you've got a radio mic hanging about or even a wired one within shouting distance you could get a enttec open usb and an old pc and use Vocus Linky To Vocus Website HTH Steve
broadcast_techie Posted December 18, 2006 Posted December 18, 2006 Have spotted this: http://www.digitallightingsolutions.com/ seems reasonably expensive, but an interesting idea... Kris
jfitzpat Posted December 18, 2006 Posted December 18, 2006 If you've got a radio mic hanging about or even a wired one within shouting distance you could get a enttec open usb and an old pc and use Vocus Linky To Vocus Website HTH Steve I don't know what happened, I kept telling the lighting not to suck... Sorry, this just seems like an amazingly complex, high probability of failure, solution to a relatively low tech problem. I can just see myself standing on the 'do not step' part of the A-frame, futzing with a microphone and shouting instructions to a crappy VI module (SAPI really blows), in the hopes that the crappy illegal packets sputtering out of an Open DMX adapter will give me what I want. On the flip side, hooking up a Fleenor DMX shock collar to the person doing the talking... -jjf
Nick S Posted December 18, 2006 Posted December 18, 2006 Have spotted this: http://www.digitallightingsolutions.com/ seems reasonably expensive, but an interesting idea... Kris Have had bad experiences with touch tone interfaces. Really bad. Would prefer a more traditional DMX wireless remote (also, what's your console? some manufacturers will have their own solutions).
Sinorm Posted December 18, 2006 Posted December 18, 2006 I actually have a program I wrote which supports remote DMX control through any Windows Mobile 5.0 device (SmartPhone or PDA). It was a huge help for me this year, much easier than telling an assistant what to do. Aurora Light Controller It uses the USBDMX.com device, but also supports the ArtDMX protocol.
Don Allen Posted December 19, 2006 Posted December 19, 2006 Light factory allows you to use a windows mobile or smartphone device http://www.balancedtech.com.au/enttec/control.htm, does MagicQ have a similar feature?, then substitute your laptop or pc for the focus.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.